Canning Town & Custom House Regeneration Programme
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Canning Town & Custom House Regeneration Programme. Residents’ Charter. IMPORTANT UPDATE 2016 Since the approval of the Charter the homeloss payments referred to in this document have increased. The affected clauses are: Page 13 6.2a) Homeloss Payment to tenants – The statutory payment to qualifying tenants has now increased from £4,700 to £5,800. Page 16 7.13 Homeloss payment to freeholders and leaseholders – In addition to the market value leaseholders and freeholders who have been resident in the property for the previous year are entitled to an additional 10% of the value of their property in homeloss payment. The maximum amount payable has now risen from £47,000 to £58,000. Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme Residents’ Charter Approved by Mayor and Cabinet November 2011 1 Contents INTRODUCTION ……..……………..…….…………………………………………..………...3 SECTION ONE: Key Guarantees ...…..……….……………………………..............................3 Commitments to Tenants …..…………………………………………………………...4 Commitments to Freeholders and Leaseholders ….……………………………........4 SECTION TWO: Community Involvement ……..…………………………….……………..4 Keeping residents informed …….……………………………….……….……….…....5 Individual residents …………………………………………………………….…….....5 The wider community ……………………………………………………………..........6 Community involvement in developer selection ………………………….….……...6 Community involvement in redevelopment and design ………………………..….7 Community involvement during the delivery of the regeneration ……..................7 Community involvement in the management of the new developments ……….. 7 SECTION THREE: Commitments regarding RSL/Developer Partners .…………………... 8 SECTION FOUR: Rehousing Mechanisms for Tenants who have to move permanently as a result of Regeneration Programme……..……………………………………………………..9 SECTION FIVE: Rehousing Standard and Options for tenants who have to move permanently as a result of the Regeneration Programme .………………..….……………10 SECTION SIX: Compensation for Tenants who have to be re-housed permanently due to the Regeneration Programme …………………………………………………...............................12 Home Loss Payment .....………………………………………………………………..13 Compensation for improvements …………………………………………………….13 Removal and storage costs …………………………………………………………….13 Disturbance Expenses… ……………………………………………………................14 SECTION SEVEN: Leaseholders and Freeholders ……………………...…………………..14 Consultation …………………………………………………………….…..................15 Valuation ………………………………………………………….…….….................…15 Mortgaged properties …………………………………………….…………………….16 Home Loss Payment …………………………………………….……….…..................16 Disturbance Payments .…..………………………………………....…….…………....16 Purchase of new homes …………………………………………….…….………….... 17 SECTION EIGHT: Comments and Complaints about decisions relating to the Charter.. 18 APPENDIX 1 - Map of the Regeneration Area and property list APPENDIX 2 - Glossary of terms relevant to the Residents’ Charter Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme Residents’ Charter Approved by Mayor and Cabinet November 2011 2 INTRODUCTION The Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme is being undertaken to create new opportunities for people living in Canning Town and Custom House by building new homes, providing new shops and leisure facilities, improving the environment, creating two vibrant town centres and generating thousands of job opportunities. The regeneration area is identified on the map attached at appendix 1 and individual sites have been identified for redevelopment. Properties within these sites will need to be demolished to allow redevelopment to take place and residents will need to be rehoused. The regeneration is being carried out on a phased basis with different regeneration sites coming forward at different times. This Charter outlines the Council’s commitments to residents who will be decanted as part of the Canning Town & Custom House Regeneration Programme. The Council is committed to working closely with residents to enable them to make the best choices for their future. The Charter also sets out arrangements for involving the wider community in the regeneration. Copies of this Charter will be given to all residents when decanting starts in their area. Copies of the charter can also be found on the council’s website, www.newham.gov.uk and are available from the regeneration office at The Place, 2 Silvertown Way, E16 1ED, telephone 020 3373 1443. This charter will run alongside any communications and community involvement strategies implemented by the regeneration programme team. The Residents’ Charter has been in existence since 2004 and was first revised in 2007. The latest version follows a review undertaken in 2011. The Charter should be seen as a working document that may have to be altered as the development programme progresses. The Charter will be subject to ongoing review. SECTION ONE: Key Guarantees This Charter sets out a number of commitments to residents affected by the regeneration. Below is a summary of the key guarantees. Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme Residents’ Charter Approved by Mayor and Cabinet November 2011 3 1.1 Commitments to Tenants If you are a Council Tenant who has to be rehoused as a result of the regeneration you will have the right to stay in, or return to, Canning Town and Custom House. You will also have the right to be rehoused in a council property and remain a council tenant. You will have the right to be rehoused in a property with the same number of bedrooms. You will be granted priority bidding status under the Choice Based Lettings scheme. You will be entitled to a home loss payment which is currently £4,700 and a disturbance payment. The Council will pay your removal costs and other reasonable costs connected with moving. 1.2 Commitments to Freeholders and Leaseholders If you are a homeowner and the Council has to acquire your home the Council will pay the market value for your home plus 10% if you are resident and 7.5% if you do not live in the property. The Council will also pay for your removal costs and cover your disturbance expenses. The Council will also cover any reasonable legal and surveying fees when you buy a new home. You will have a right of first refusal to buy a new property in the regeneration area. All residents (tenants, leaseholder and freeholders) will have access to independent advice. SECTION TWO: Community Involvement 2.1 The Council is committed to involving the community in the regeneration of Canning Town and Custom House. This includes both residents directly affected by the regeneration because their home will need to be demolished, as well as the wider community which is affected by the regeneration programme taking place around it. Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme Residents’ Charter Approved by Mayor and Cabinet November 2011 4 2.2 The Council will involve the community on an area by area basis as each area comes up for redevelopment. Keeping residents informed 2.3 The Council will keep residents informed of progress on the regeneration programme for example through newsletters, letters and events. 2.4 The Council will produce an annual report to residents setting out progress on the regeneration, identifying any changes to the programme phasing and any new options open to residents. The report will include details of the proposed regeneration phases and indicative timescales. Individual residents 2.5 The Council recognizes that the regeneration has a particular impact on residents living in the Council’s redevelopment sites in the regeneration area. This Charter sets out specific commitments to these residents (tenants, leaseholders and freeholders) who will be liaised with individually in relation to the regeneration of their area and their rehousing. The Council will work with all affected residents individually, and in particular with those who are vulnerable. The specific commitments to tenants are set out in sections four, five and six and for freeholders and leaseholders in section seven. 2.6 The Council guarantees that all residents living in the development sites will have access to individual independent advice throughout the process. The Council will fund an Independent Advisor and residents will be involved in their appointment. 2.7 The Council aspires to give those tenants who will be moving to alternative new build properties within the regeneration area opportunities to be involved in the design of their properties and offer individual choices in relation to the finishes in their properties where this is feasible. Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme Residents’ Charter Approved by Mayor and Cabinet November 2011 5 The wider community 2.8 The Council is committed to ensuring that all members of the community have access to information and opportunities to: find out more; be consulted and give their views; and receive feedback on regeneration projects. Public exhibitions, drop-ins and regular updates in the regeneration programme newsletter E16 News have all been employed to achieve this and we will continue to employ the most appropriate methods and work with developers and their partners to achieve this. 2.9 The Council is also committed to involving community members in more detailed aspects of the various regeneration schemes and will work with groups of community members as appropriate. For example this could be through design or regeneration groups established to look at particular schemes. 2.10 The Council will involve residents on both an individual